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Alaska Snorkelling

Mumsysailor

By Mumsysailor,
in Alaska

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Mumsysailor

Mumsysailor

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I've booked a snorkelling excursion for our trip to Alaska in June. What can I expect?

 

I know they provide all the equipment including a special wet suit but I've only been snorkelling in warmer climates and can't imagine what this trip might bring.

 

Any experiences or insights would be gratefully received. :)

 

Mumsy.

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Mumsysailor

Mumsysailor

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I assume you are taking the tour in Ketchikan. Have you looked at their web site: http://www.snorkelalaska.com/ Lots of good information and photos there. The FAQ and guest comments should be particularly helpful in answering your questions.

 

Thank you so much for the link. :cool:

 

Now I'm really excited about doing this and I can show my friends the website - I'm sure my photos won't do the trip justice. :):)

 

Mumsy.

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dustyroad

dustyroad

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I have read of one member who did this and they loved it. they said there were some gorgeous sites too be seen in the water. yes, the water was chilly at first but well worth it they said. do a search here for snorkel tour or snorkeling and something might come up to help you out. have fun. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
jdslkmj

jdslkmj

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We did the snorkeling there five years ago in June and had a blast! It was our first experience with cold water snorkeling...the suit warms up pretty quickly once you're in the water and the sites were beautiful! My favorites were the tiny pastel colored jelly fish - pinks, purples, blues!!

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animal_cookie

animal_cookie

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We did the snorkeling there five years ago in June and had a blast! It was our first experience with cold water snorkeling...the suit warms up pretty quickly once you're in the water and the sites were beautiful! My favorites were the tiny pastel colored jelly fish - pinks, purples, blues!!

 

cold water snorkeling is fun. i tried it last year when i was iceland. i really want to see jellyfish :)

 

although in iceland i wore a drysuit, it looks like the operators in alaska use wetsuits.

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Budget Queen

Budget Queen

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cold water snorkeling is fun. i tried it last year when i was iceland. i really want to see jellyfish :)

 

although in iceland i wore a drysuit, it looks like the operators in alaska use wetsuits.

 

Jellyfish are common to see in Bermuda. :)

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  • 4 weeks later...
animal_cookie

animal_cookie

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i just wanted to update this thread to say that the snorkeling in ketchikan was quite awesome. very different from snorkeling in the caribbean or mexico. there were jellyfish everywhere and lots of starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. there were also some schools of fish.

 

the wetsuits are really thick and a bit difficult to put on. the changing areas are just two big rooms and they give you a big bag to put all your clothing, shoes and towel in. afterwards there are hot showers outside to rinse off in.

 

the water was cold for about the first 3-5 minutes when you get in. but then the water in the suit warms up to your body temperature and you don't really notice the cold. i didn't start to get cold again until it was time to get out.

 

the guides were all very knowledgeable and drove down to pick up various sea life. it was cool to see the things up close. they also were around to take pictures for people that had underwater cameras.

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  • 1 month later...
Mumsysailor

Mumsysailor

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Well I went and did the snorkelling and I absolutely loved it. Pity I couldn't handle my camera so well in the gloves so didn't get fantastic pics but got some. Saw everything I expected to see, never once felt cold, the jelly fish were amazing to watch up close and I would do it again and again and again. Unfortunately DH doesn't swim so I went on my own and had to rely on others to take a pic of me in all the gear. Probably for the best - not a pretty sight. :eek:

 

I would recommend this to anyone.

 

Mumsy.

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sonnyjane

sonnyjane

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I'm planning on doing this! I've had people tell me that I will get cold, even though I've read that I won't. I'm glad to see that there are gloves to wear.

 

My HAL cruise in September offers wetsuit snorkeling with a 7mm suit in Ketchikan or drysuit snorkeling in Sitka. I have a drysuit certification for SCUBA and have done dives in Washington. In those cases it was my face and hands that got cold, but the rest of me stayed warm. I own a heavy duty 7mm wetsuit though, and while that gets me through here in San Diego, I think I'd be chilly in Alaska.

 

If you can find someone doing a drysuit snorkel instead, I'd recommend that, but if you can't, I will say that cold-water diving/snorkeling is amazing, just need to muscle through and think warm thoughts lol!

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  • 1 month later...
mattie00

mattie00

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We snorkeled in Ketchikan on July 27th and it was absolutely breathtaking. The 7mm wetsuits were more than adequate and kept us warm. Little bit of cold water at the beginning of the swim but we were in the suits for long enough before we entered the water that we couldn't wait to enter. Saw amazing starfish that were very different from those in tropical climates and beautiful kelp forests. Highly recommend this to anyone who wants to something a little unusual for Alaska.

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geekypenguin

geekypenguin

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We did this in early June and it was awesome! The tour is a great value for the money and we had so much fun. My pictures didn't do it justice, but here's one of my favorite ones.

 

DSCN1853.JPG

 

You stay plenty warm in the wetsuits and the guides were friendly and attentive. For those of you who may be larger people, my husband and I were both towards the upper end of their weight limit and we had no trouble getting wetsuits that fit.

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Mumsysailor

Mumsysailor

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Thanks mattie00 and geekypenguin for your recent reports - did you go straight back to the ship to shower and change and then go back out into Ketchikan? Or where there showering facilities right there? I am booked and ready to go and can't wait!

 

When they pick you up from the port they take you to their base where you get fitted with a wetsuit etc. Then they drive you to the cove where you get fitted with goggles (including prescription if required), snorkel and gloves. When you come out of the water they give you warm water from the van to pour into your suit to warm you up if you need it. After that, it's a short ride back to the base to shower, change and drink hot chocolate. There's also an opportunity to buy souvenirs. Then it's back in the van to the port. They're lovely people and it's well worth doing.

 

Hope you have a really fun experience. I thought it was awesome!

 

Mumsy.

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